Outsider Chronicles: A Wizard at Beacon
by Dis Lexic
Summary: Waking up in the body of a baby is rather disconcerting. Finding out I've been reborn in a world of monsters and Darkness is worse. Still, at least I've got some cool powers out of the bargain!
1. Chapter 1

Outsider Chronicles: A Wizard at Beacon

Waking up in the body of a baby is rather disconcerting. Finding out I've been reborn in a world of monsters and Darkness is worse. Still, at least I've got some cool powers out of the bargain!

 **And here we go with another RWBY idea, this time a True OC story...sort of. At least, hes not Jaune this time. Unfortunately, to keep from having to create three new characters or add a fifth member to a Team (which I really don't like), someones gonna get the axe from Beacon. Unfortunately, that someone is going to be Jaune, although he WILL make an appearance at some point. Oh, and before I forget, yes, this story was basically so I can play around with the magic system from In Another World With My Smartphone. If you haven't seen it yet, WATCH IT NOW! Or read the Light Novels. Their next on my list after I finish Overlord. For now though, enjoy!**

Chapter 1

Well, I can safely say that someone is pissed at me. Why? Well, I'd just died from having a shelf of kitchen equipment fall on me at work and now I find myself waking up in the body of a baby with a giant in a surgical mask leaning over me. Needless to say, that scared the crap out of me.

After that pant wetting introduction to my new life, I quickly made a few interesting discoveries. First of, I had been reborn into the world of Remnant. You know, the world where everyone has colour's in their name, weapons can change shape and the entire world is infested with Monsters? Yeah, that one. In other news, I was apparently now the son of Glynda Goodwitch and an unknown man, although considering my hair is black, my money's on Ironwood. Plus, my name was James, so that was another nod towards him being my pa.

* * *

Anyway, moving on. Growing up was oddly normal, all things considered. Mum was strict, but a very good teacher in the art of combat and the use of Dust in combat. Much to my surprise, she didn't actually forbid me from becoming a Huntsman, instead deciding to train me whenever she could and activated my Aura at a very early age. That led to two reveals about me. First of all, I had an obscene amount of Aura and second, my Semblance was incredibly unique. It was, in a word, Magic. By using various Dust crystals as foci, I could summon and control the Elements like no one else could using just my Aura. Hell, I didn't even use up the Crystals, unless I cast a really massive spell with one. I could also use my Semblance to use various supplementary abilities without Dust as a focus, including creating passable copies of other people's Semblances, but as a general rule, mine weren't as strong.

To complement my Semblance, I created two primary weapons. The first was a pair of bracers containing a red, orange, green, blue, yellow and white crystal, which allowed me to use Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, Light and my copied Semblance type skills respectively. Well, actually White Dust was a generic energy used in normal bullets, but it served as a decent catalyst for my copied abilities, or Null as I usually refered to it as. Mainly because it was nearly identical to the Magic system from an Anime called In Another World With My Smartphone. Actually, it was pretty much identical and I was pretty sure that if I got my hands on some Darkness Dust (the rarest and most expensive in existence) then I'd be able to perform Summon spells. Hell, I'd even done a bit of experimentation and found that I could actually use a few of the Null spells shown in the Anime.

Anyway, my second weapon was a revolver that could turn into a sword and acted as my main weapon when my Magic was unavailable. Actually, I used my Semblance to make it and it was nearly identical to Touya's Brunhilda, only mine was white and called Sheer Trigger. However, that was a secondary weapon for if my magic ever failed me or I couldn't use it for whatever reason.

* * *

In addition to being trained by Mum, I also attended a combat school located in Vale where I was naturally the top of the class, much to the ire of some of my classmates. Still, between my incredible skill with my Semblance and my not inconsiderable talent with a blade and gun, I had more than earned my spot as top student in my graduating year, just like my Mother. Considering how good I was, getting into Beacon was a synch, not that that stopped the mutters that my Mum helped me get in. Fat chance of that. In fact, if I know her, she probably marked me even more strictly than my future classmates. She expected only the best from me after all and I was only to happy to meet and break those expectations.

* * *

Anyway, eventually the first day of school rolled around and saw me making my way through Vale to the Bullhead port. Despite the fact that my Mother typically lived at Beacon, I instead lived at an apartment she owned in the City proper, with Mum coming home at the weekends and holidays. Still, we spoke often over Scrolls and were fairly close, although I couldn't expect any preferential treatment once school started. That was fine though. I was training to be a warrior after all, even if I was technically a Mage.

I reached the Port in plenty of time and boarded the Bullhead, pausing to allow some girls to get on first. What? With a mother like mine, you really think I'd not be instilled with some measure of chivalry? The Bullhead wasn't full yet, so there were plenty of seats to chose from. I sat down in one and planted my backpack between my legs and pulling out my Scroll, opening my Ignite app (basically Remnants Kindle from the online shopping company, Derwent). I sat quietly, reading my latest book, the Remnant version of the Dresden Files. It was functionally identical to the one from my old world with only a few names changed and taking place in Atlus instead of Chicago. I glanced up when Torchwick was mentioned, but I ignored the announcement from Mum in favor of my book. I'd heard it before after all.

* * *

Eventually, the Bullhead arrived and I stood, slipping my Scroll into my bag as I left the flying machine. As I did, I caught the tail end of the argument between Ruby, Blake and Weiss and watched as the former flopped down onto her back.

"Hnn, guess I should meet the Heroine," I muttered as I walked to the girl.

As I approached, she opened her eyes.

"Hey there, need a hand?" I asked, offering my hand, "I'm James."

"Ruby," said Ruby, taking my offered limb and letting me pull her to her feet.

"Are you OK?" I asked, "I caught the tail end of that argument. It looked pretty rough."

Ruby looked sheepish.

"Um, I kinda knocked over some girls luggage and she started yelling at me," she said, "Then some stuff happened and I sneezed and exploded then that nice girl came to help and told the crabby girl off and…"

"Yeahhh, I noticed that explosion," I said, cutting of Ruby's babbling, "To be fair, she was more at fault than you, waving that Dust Vile around so much."

"I know, right?" said Ruby, looking relieved.

We slipped into silence for a few seconds as we walked.

"Sooo, I got this thing," said Ruby, pulling out Crescent Rose and slamming it into the ground.

She also almost cut off my toes, but I didn't do more than flinch.

"Ohh, now thats cool," I said, "A mechashift scythe/sniper rifle. I bet this thing could do some serious damage to Grimm."

I looked up and nearly took a step back when I saw that Ruby was staring at me with massive, shining eyes.

"Y-you know what it is!" she said.

"Yeah, I had to do some research when I was making this," I said, drawing Sheer Trigger from under my long, white coat, "Its not actually Mechashift since it uses my Semblance to function, but I still had to know how it worked."

"What do you mean?" asked Ruby.

"My Semblance is pretty useful in how I can use it," I said, "It allows me to do various things with Dust and my Aura, including reshaping and transforming matter. Using that ability, I can do this. Blade Mode."

Sheer Trigger glowed and changed shape, transforming from a normal revolver with a short blade underneath the barrel to a longsword with a revolver built into the hilt.

"Whoaaaa, thats so cool!" said Ruby, her eyes wide and gleaming, "I bet that Semblance is really useful!"

I smiled and switched my weapon back to Gun form so I could put it away.

"You have no idea," I said, "I'm sure you'll get to see some of what I can do in the future when I really cut loose. For now though, we should get to the Main Hall."

"You know where it is?" asked Ruby as she followed me.

"I practically grew up here," I said, "My Mums on the staff, so when I was a kid, I spent a lot of time here. These days I mostly live in the city for school, but I still know my way around."

* * *

It didn't take us long to get to the Hall where we were supposed to meet for the opening ceremony.

"Hey Ruby, over here!" called Yang from the crowd, "I saved you a spot!"

"Oh, come and meet my sister," said Ruby, grabbing my arm and dragging me over to where Yang was waiting.

"Hey Ruby, glad to see you're OK," said Yang, eyeing me curiously, "I see you made a new friend."

Ruby blinked and looked mildly surprised by that.

"Um, yeah, I guess I did," she said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Is it really that surprising?" I asked.

"Don't mind here, shes not very good at making friends," said Yang, eyeing me up and down with a gleam of appreciation in her eye, "I'm Yang Xiao Long handsome."

I blinked. Well, that was a tad unexpected. I mean, I'm not exactly bad looking, but I wasn't expecting Yang to start drooling over me right off the bat.

"James Goodwitch, nice to meet you," I said.

"Goodwitch? You mean like the teacher?" asked Yang.

I nodded.

"Yep, shes my Mother," I said.

The two sisters stared at me.

"What?"

"You didn't tell me your mother was the deputy head!" said Ruby.

I shrugged.

"Not like it really means anything," I said, "Believe me, just because shes my mother, she will NOT pull her punches."

The two girls glanced at the sivear looking woman on stage and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess I know what you mean," said Yang, "That aside Ruby, I told you you could make friends if you just put your mind to it."

"Yeah, but only after you ditched me and I exploded!" snapped Ruby.

"Yeesh, meltdown already, huh?" asked Yang.

"No, I literally exploded a hole in front of the school!" protested Ruby, "And there was some fire and I think some ice and…"

"Are you being sarcastic?" asked Yang, now looking totally confused as I stood back on my heels to watch the show.

It was even funnier in person.

"I wish! I tripped over some crabby girls luggage and she started yelling at me and then I sneezed and then I exploded and then she yelled at me again and I felt really bad and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!"

While this was going on, I was having real trouble keeping from laughing as I watched Weiss slowly approaching Ruby from behind. Apparently the white themed girl hadn't noticed her future leader yet, but that quickly changed as she noticed Ruby's red hood.

"YOU!" she shouted, making Ruby jump into Yangs arms.

"Oh no its happening again!" she howled.

"You were lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" snapped Weiss.

"Oh my god, you really exploded," said Yang.

It was at that point that I lost all self control and burst out laughing, drawing the attention of the R,W and Y of RWBY. Yang looked like she was trying to keep from laughing as well, Ruby looked a little betrayed and Weiss...Weiss was trying to burn a hole in my skull.

"And just what is so funny?" she demanded.

"S-sorry, I just can't help it!" I said, "This argument sounds like something out of a cartoon!"

I burst out laughing again, this time with Yang joining me.

"Yang!" wined Ruby.

"S-sorry Rubes, but hes right," said Yang.

"D-don't mind us Ladies, you just keep on chatting," I said as I struggled to get my hysterics under control.

Fortunately, Ozpin chose that moment to step up on stage and give his speech, after which we were shepherded out to the Great Hall, after dropping off our gear in our lockers of course. I quickly changed into my sleepware in the gents, a pair of black pajama bottoms and a white vest, and headed back into the Hall where I headed over to where I'd claimed a spot in the corner and pulled out a book. I didn't start reading though, instead using it as a cover for watching my future classmates. I could already see several important people, such as Ren and Nora preparing for bed (Ren doing so calmly and quietly while Nora bobbled and bounced around with excess energy), Pyrrha sat quietly in another corner meditating and Cardin and his goons messing around and acting like pricks towards the Faunus in the room.

"Assholes," I muttered as I adjusted my bracers, "Lets see if we can do something about them for now. Come forth Wind, send my foes to Morpheus, veternum venti."

The green crystal on my bracer glowed and a faint pink mist emerged from my hand, wafting across the room and causing anyone it touched to fall asleep. Eventually, it reached Cardin and his friends and they all immediately collapsed as the spell did its work.

I smirked as I turned away from the morons who would likely end up as my punching bags at some point in favor of a commotion going on on the other side of the room. I smirked slightly when I saw it was the fight between the future Team RWBY. Said smirk was interrupted by a yawn and I decided to call it a night.

 **And done. So, what do you think? As I said up top, I won't be adding James to a team as a fifth member or creating an entire team around him, although to be fair, I could probably just you Touya's friends and no one would notice.**

 **For those interested, I will be including a description of James in the next chapter, but his outfit is identical to Touya's, mainly because it looks really damn cool, with the addition of his bracers of course.**

 **Despite what it might appear, hes not actually as OP as he first appears. True, he is very powerful, but his main strength is fighting at a range. While he is capable of defending himself up close, a skilled fighter who focus on CQC would flatten him in no time. Plus, his attacks require him to be able to speak to activate.**

 **For those interested, Veternum Venti means sleepy wind.**

 **I hope I did a good job explaining James and Glynda's relationship. We'll see some interaction between them soon enough, but I think I managed to pull off how Glynda would actually act as a Mother. Speaking of which, I wonder who his Father really is? And no, its not Ozpin.**

 **And done. Don't forget to leave a review on your way out!**


	2. Chapter 2

Outsider Chronicles: A Wizard at Beacon

Waking up in the body of a baby is rather disconcerting. Finding out I've been reborn in a world of monsters and Darkness is worse. Still, at least I've got some cool powers out of the bargain!

 **Hello and welcome back. Nothing to say here, so lets dive right in. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

The next day dawned bright and sore for me as I had slept sitting up, leaning against the hard, wooden paneling that lined the Hall. Big mistake. I groaned as I cracked my back, twisting this way and that with a series of satisfying cracks.

"Ohh, thats better," I said, "Now, lets go gear up."

After my morning rituals and breakfast (making sure to keep my fingers well away from Nora), I headed into the armoury to pick up my gear. Yang and Ruby were already arguing about being on a team. I reached my locker to find Pyrrha and Weiss stood in front of it. Weiss had an odd look on her face and was probably in the middle of plotting how she and Pyrrha were going to be the perfect team and such. Unfortunately, my locker was right between them and I didn't feel like waiting for Weiss' little breakdown to finish.

"Scuse me," I said, snapping the white themed girl out of her trance, "Could I get at my locker?"

"Oh, sure," said Pyrrha, stepping to one side and letting me approach.

"You again," sniffed Weiss.

"Whats with the cold shoulder Princess?" I asked as I put on my coat and grabbed my gun, "I didn't do anything to you."

Weiss glared at me as I checked that Sheer Trigger was fully loaded and slipped it into the holster on the back of my belt.

"You mocked me yesterday!"

"Thats what you took away from that?" I snorted, "I was only laughing because of how over the top you were acting."

"THAT GIRL COULD HAVE KILLED ME!" roared Weiss.

"But she didn't and she apologised, so no hard feelings," I said, "So, now thats out of the way, how about we start over. Hello Weiss, I'm James Goodwitch."

"Hello James," said Pyrrha.

I blinked as I realised that yes, Pyrrha was still there. How the hell had I forgotten about her?

"Oh, sorry, that was rude of me," I said, holding out my hand, "Nice to meet you…"

Weiss was quick to plant herself between us, cutting me off.

"Ahem, James was it?" she said haughtily, "Do you have any idea who this is?"

"I do," I said, "Pyrrha Nikos, correct?"

Pyrrha twitched slightly, but nodded.

"Again, its nice to meet you," I said, stepping around Weiss to offer Pyrrha my hand again, "I hope we can get along."

Pyrrha looked surprised, but shook it anyway.

"Um, likewise James," she said, blushing slightly.

Weiss looked between the two of us in utter confusion.

"Bu...wha...she…"

"Breath Princess, don't pass out before we even get to the initiation," I said with a smirk.

That seemed to snap Weiss out of it.

"HOW CAN YOU TREAT HER SO CASUALLY?!" she spluttered, "SHES A CELEBRITY!"

"So?" I said, "So's my Mother...sort of. And besides, past achievements mean very little here. After all, I've never even entered a tournament and yet I managed to get in with one of the highest scores in the combat exam ever."

Whatever Weiss was going to say was cut off by Mums voice over the PA requesting that we all meet at the cliff edge.

"Well, time to go," I said, as I slipped on my coat, "Come on Pyrrha, Princess."

"Stop calling me that!" snapped Weiss.

"Then stop acting like it."

"GAH!"

She flounced off. I snickered as I followed her with a slightly smiling Pyrrha at my side.

* * *

We arrived at the cliffs and were directed to stand on the launch pads at the very edge.

"For years, you have been training to become warriors," began Ozpin, drawing all attention to him, "Today, the skills you have gained will be tested in the Emerald Forest."

"I'm sure that many of you have heard rumours about the assignment of teams," said Goodwitch, "Let me put your minds at ease. We will be assigning you into teams. Today."

"What?" whimpered Ruby.

"Your teammate will be with you for the duration of your time at Beacon," said Ozpin, "So its in your best interest to be paired with someone you work well with."

I noticed Ruby clenching her fists nervously.

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with once you land will be your teammate for the next four years."

I could practically hear Ruby shattering at that.

"WHAT?!" she yelled.

"See, I told you…!" hissed Nora to Ren.

"Once you have partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest," continued Ozpin, ignoring the whispering, "There you will find a ruin containing several relics. You will meet opposition along the way, so do not hesitate to kill anything in your path or you will die. Once you return with your relic, we will guard it and your standing and grade you appropriately. Our teachers will be watching your progress, but they will not intervene, so I suggest you be careful. Now, are there any questions?"

There was not.

"Good, take your positions," said Ozpin.

Thirty seconds later, the launch pad activated and I was catapulted into the air.

"YEEEHA!" I whooped as I flew over the trees, my coat tails flapping in the wind.

I flipped a few times, before gaining control over my flight and readied myself, extending my hands towards the ground.

"Come forth Wind, break my fall, Air Cushion," I said.

The air in front of me swirled as I approached the ground and caught me, slowing me down enough so that when I landed, I touched down gently. As soon as I did, I pulled out Sheer Trigger and shot a Beowolf right between the eyes without even looking.

"Come forth light, sacred shining spear, Shining Javelin," I said, "And Multiply."

In response to my two spells, a large number of white magic circles appeared around me and unleashed a barrage of spears made of golden light that quickly turned the back of Beowolves that had been sniffing around the clearing I landed in into swiss cheese.

"Well, that was impressive."

I turned to see Pyrrha emerging from the treeline.

"Thanks. So, I guess this means we're partners?"

Pyrrha smiled and nodded.

"We are," she said.

"Great. Shall we?"

We headed off into the forest together, leaving the dead Beowolves to dissolve.

"So, do you have any idea where we are?" I asked after we had been walking for a few minutes.

"Ummm."

"I thought so," I said, "Hang on, I think I've got...aha!"

I pulled a compass out of my coat.

"Why do you have a compass?" asked Pyrrha.

"Always be prepared is my Mothers moto," I said, "She probably stuffed the pockets of this thing with dozens of random bits of junk she thought I might need."

To demonstrate, I pulled out a packet of tissues, a packed lunch, a bundle of take out flyers and a packet of condoms. I raised an eyebrow at the last one.

"Err, O...K," I said, "I don't think that was Mums doing…"

"I hope not," said a now blushing Pyrrha as I put the random assortment of items back into my coat.

"Anyway, lets go," I said, "North is...that way."

I pointed in the direction the needle was pointing. Directly at Pyrrha. I narrowed my eyes and took a few steps to the left. To my relief, the needle remained pointing in the same direction, even when I walked past her. Nice to know that joke wasn't an actual thing. Now that we had a direction, we started heading north, keeping our eyes peeled for the Temple as we went. As we made our way through the trees, we passed a certain cave that, had I been less prepared, we might have stumbled into. Fortunately, we wouldn't have to deal with the Deathstalker.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, Pyrrha paused.

"Did you hear that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" I asked.

"Listen."

I stopped and did as she said. For a moment, I didn't hear anything, but then the sound of something breathing heavily in the forest reached my ears. I frowned.

"What…"

Then, the treeline exploded and a wall of black fur and white plates erupted with a horrible, screeching roar. I reacted without thinking, just barely dodging a yellow stinger as it snapped down and embedded into a tree behind me. The tree immediately started rotting as purple venom sprayed from the tip of the stinger.

"MANTICORE!" screamed Pyrrha, whipping out her weapons as the massive Grimm roared again.

It was massive, towering over both of us in a deadly wall of muscle, claws, teeth and venom. It looked like a massive lion, with a pair of bat-like wings and a scorpion's tail curving up over its head and dripping with purple venom that instantly killed any plants it fell on. Its face was covered in a typical white mask of a Grimm and bone spikes protruded from its shoulders.

Manticores are one of the most dangerous types of Grimm in existence. They are incredibly strong, extremely short tempered and so territorial they had even been known to attack and kill other Grimm. Plus, between razor sharp claws, jaws powerful enough to casually crush a man's skull and venom so powerful that it could reduce a person to goo in minutes, they weren't hurting for ways to kill. The only up side was that they were normally found in mountainous areas, far from Human civilization. To see one so close to Vale...it wasn't a good sign.

The Manticore took a swipe at Pyrrha, forcing her to jump back or get sliced to ribbons.

"Pyrrha, keep its attention!" I shouted.

I ignored the red-heads rather colourful response in favor of focusing on my Semblance.

"Come forth fire, crimson eruption, Explosion!" I shouted as the red crystals on my wrists lit up with a ruddy glow.

Pyrrha jumped back as a red circle appeared under the Grimm for a moment, before multiple pillars of fire erupted, blasting it off its feet and filling the air with the stench of burning fur.

"Time to go," I said.

"Quite," said Pyrrha as we sprinted away from the howling Manticore as it tried to put out the flames still licking at its fur.

* * *

It didn't take us long to reach the ruin where Yang, Blake, Ren and Nora were already gathered.

"GUYS, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!" I yelled as we sprinted up.

"Huh? Oh, hey James," said Yang, "Whats up?"

"Manticore," said Pyrrha.

That got us four blank looks.

"What?" said Blake.

"Theres a Manticore in the forest," I said, "We REALLY need to get out of here and let the teachers know. Unless you fancy trying to kill the damn thing."

"That sounds like a terrible idea," said Ren.

"Indeed, so lets get what we need and GTFO," I said.

"Er, guys," said Blake, pointing up.

We all followed her finger, just in time to see a Nevermore fly overhead with Ruby and Weiss clinging to its back.

"Awww shit," I muttered, "Thats gonna make things more difficult…"

Ruby chose that moment to jump.

"RUBY!" shouted Yang, worry clear in her tone.

"Accel," I said and vanished.

A moment later, I skidded to a stop, just in time to catch Ruby in my arms.

"Nice of you to drop in," I deadpanned.

"Um, thanks," said Ruby, her cheeks pinking.

I rolled my eyes and set her back on her feet.

"RUBY!" shouted Yang as she came sprinting over.

"YANG!" shouted Ruby right back as she was tackled hugged by her sister.

"Not that this isn't sweet and all, but I feel I should remind you of the very angry Manticore that is probably heading this way?" I asked.

"Huh?" said Ruby.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU LEFT ME!" shouted Weiss from the back of the Nevermore.

"I said jump!" called back Ruby.

"Shes gonna fall," said Yang.

"She'll be fine," said Ruby

"Shes falling," said Blake

I rolled my eyes and took a step to the side, catching Weiss with ease, before setting the heiress on her feet.

"Um, thank you?" she said, looking a tad ruffled.

"No problem, now lets grab our Relics and GO!" I yelled as I started herding everyone back towards the ruin.

"Hey, whats the rush?" asked Weiss.

She got her answer a moment later when the treeline erupted and the smouldering and very angry Manticore came barreling out, skidding to a stop and looking around. When its burning red eyes fell on our group, it let out a horrible shriek and started charging towards us.

"Slip!" I shouted, pointing at the ground in front of it.

There was a flash of light and the giant Grimm faceplanted as the friction under its feet was magically removed.

"Lets go, that won't slow it down for long," I said.

"Noted," said Yang as we all sprinted back to the ruin, grabbed a Relic and headed in the direction of the cliff.

"What should we do?" asked Pyrrha as we ran.

I glanced around. With the presence of the Manticore, the Nevermore had flown away to avoid getting killed, but that was a cold comfort. Even experienced Huntsmen balked at the idea of fighting a Manticore.

"Keep moving," I said, "Its not far to the...YIPSE!"

I skidded to a stop as a massive chasm suddenly yawned before us, forcing us to stop or take a very long trip to the bottom.

"Aw shit, the ruins would chose now to collapse," I grumbled as I looked down at the shattered stone blocks far, far below us.

"I take it there used to be a way across here?" asked Yang.

"Yep, but it looks like they've finally given up the ghost," I said, "Come on, we need to…"

I turned, but stopped at the sight of the Manticore slowly stalking towards us. It wasn't running any more, it didn't have to. We were cornered and it knew it.

"James…" said Ruby, sounding scared, "Please tell me there's another way out of here."

Not that I blame her in the slightest. I gave a weak chuckle.

"Yeah, unfortunatally, its about three miles in that direction," I said, pointing off to the left, "And I don't think our new friend is too eager to let us go."

"So basically, what you're saying is that we've got no choice but to fight?" said Weiss.

"Thats about the size of it," I said, drawing Sheer Trigger, "Its that or get eaten. True, we might still get eaten, but at least we can give it indigestion. Besides, I think I have a plan…"

Apparently the Manticore had got tired of waiting as it chose that moment to let out another roar and charge.

"Guys, hold it back!" I shouted, "Weiss, can you make a large block of ice?"

The white clad girl blinked as the others charged the Grimm in an attempt to slow it down, doing there best to keep out of the Manticores reach.

"Well, yes but…"

"Do it," I said, "Quickly!"

While Weiss was doing that, I turned back to the fight and crossed my arms. The green gems in my bracers lit up as the wind began to pick up.

"Come forth wind, shred and restrain, Deadly Maelstrom!"

I threw my arms open and the wind shot forwards, tearing up the ground as it rocketed towards the fight. The Manticore barely had time to react before the razor sharp typhoon hit, lifting it off its feet and shedding its fur. Unfortunately, it didn't have enough power to deal more than superficial damage. Still, it bought the fighters some breathing room.

"Alright, done," said Weiss as she summoned a large block of ice with her sword, "Now why do you need it?"

I smirked.

"Like this," I said, "Modeling."

A circle appeared under the ice and it morphed into a curved lense.

"Didn't think I'd need this trick for a while, but whatever," I muttered, "Come forth light, sacred shining spear, Shining Javelin! Multiply!"

Multiple circles appeared behind the lense and fired off a barrage of light spears into it. THe lense immediately started glowing and focused the spears into a single, massive beam that shot out and hit the Manticore in the side, making it roar in pain. My Light magic was VERY effective against Grimm, but since the light element was mostly meant for healing and defence, I didn't have any truly powerful attacks in it as of yet. Still, with a combination of intelligence, creativity and remembering this particular trick from an Anime I once watched, I could easily change that.

"Modeling," I said with a smirk and the beam of light focused even further as the lense once again changed shape.

The Manticore screeched in pain as the light began to burn a hole through its side. It thrashed and tried to get away, but the others continued their attack, forcing it to remain where it was. Within seconds, its struggles started to slow as the beam burnt its way through its skin and into its vital organs. A moment later, the beam shot out the other side and the Manticore let out one last scream and collapsed with a loud crash. For a moment, we all remained tense and at the ready, just in case it was faking, but when the body started steaming, we all relaxed.

"W-we did it…" whispered Ruby as her legs gave way and she collapsed into a sitting position.

"That we did," I said as I followed her, "Man, I'm beat."

"Your Semblance is amazing James," said Pyrrha.

"Yeah, but it can be draining to use over a long period of time," I said, "Plus, it drains my Aura."

"That sounds like it could be dangerous," said Ren as everyone gathered a short distance from the Manticore.

"Not really," I said, "I just need a Tank to pull aggro."

I chuckled.

"In that regard, Pyrrha is the perfect partner for me."

Pyrrha cocked her head on one side.

"What do you mean?" she asked, "And whats a Tank? And aggro for that matter?"

"Their Gaming terms," said Yang, "Typically, a Tank is a heavy character who keeps the enemy's attention away from the other members of the party."

"Exactly," I said, "In this case, I'm a Mage and Pyrrha is my Tank. I can do a lot of damage, but if an enemy gets up close, it could mean trouble for me."

I smirked up at my partner.

"I hope I can rely on you."

Pyrrha blinked, before smiling and nodding.

"Of course, it would be my pleasure," she said.

"Great, now then, lets get going before anything else attacks," I said, flipping to my feet, "I don't know about you lot, but I need a nap."

Everyone laughed and we started making our way back to the top of the cliff.

 **And done. I hope you lot enjoyed this, I certainly had fun writing it. I can't help but think that I did a horrible job on the fight though…**

 **If your wondering what James did to the Manticore, it was the same trick Touya used against the Dragon he fought. Basically, its using physics to massively increase the attack power of his light spells by focusing them through a lense.**

 **I considered having Ruby and James be a team, but since I couldn't come up with anything using the letters J, R, B and Y, I scrapped that idea. Still, the team of a Mage and a Warrior is classing for a reason.**

 **Parings...not sure yet, but I am considering using James/Ruby. Let me hear your thoughts on the matter.**

 **And with that, I'm signing off. Don't forget to leave a review on the way out!**


	3. Chapter 3

Outsider Chronicles: A Wizard at Beacon

Waking up in the body of a baby is rather disconcerting. Finding out I've been reborn in a world of monsters and Darkness is worse. Still, at least I've got some cool powers out of the bargain!

 **Hello and welcome back. Nothing to say here, so lets dive right in. Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

Upon our return to the Cliff, I immediately found myself being grabbed by Mum and frantically checked over for injuries, much to my chagrin. Apparently the teachers really had been keeping an eye on us and saw the fight with the Manticore. Naturally, with how dangerous that particular Grimm was, many of them (including Mum naturally) had wanted to step in, but Ozpin had baid them wait. The trip into the Emerald Forest was an important part of a Huntsman's journey after all and it wouldn't do to jump in blindly. Plus, apparently he had faith in us. When he said that in response to Ren's question as to why they hadn't stepped in once we were trapped, he looked so smug I very nearly punched him. Despite that, I couldn't help but feel rather proud of what we'd managed. Normally, Manticores required a large group of Huntsmen to defeat, but we managed it with only eight of us and some well placed Spells from me.

Anyway, once Mum had done fussing over me, we headed back to the school to get cleaned up for the team announcements that evening.

* * *

"Welcome," said Ozpin, "You have all worked hard to be here and passed every test placed before you. Now, you have finally reached the beginning of the path to become great Huntsmen and Huntresses. After today, each of you will be a part of a team that will go to do great things!"

He tapped his cane on the stage and the screen behind him lit up.

"Now, let us begin."

The first team came up on screen and Ozpin started the process of calling up each team and announcing their name in the order that the members had returned. Finally, he reached the last teams.

"James Goodwitch, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie," said Ozpin as we stepped up to the stage, "The four of you retrieved the white Rook pieces. From this day forth, you will work together as Team JNPR."

Nora gave a happy squeal and wrapped her arms around Ren, making the green themed boy jump.

"Lead by James Goodwitch," said Ozpin, ignoring the byplay.

I nodded and smiled at Pyrrha as she patted me on the back as we walked off the stage.

* * *

After Team RWBY was announced, everyone headed back to their dorms to get to know each other and get some rest before class tomorrow. We in Team JNPR were no different and were currently sat around a table in our room as I plonked a box and a pack of cards down in the middle of the table.

"Whats that?" asked Ren.

"Ice breaker," I said, "A round of Uno and a box of homemade cookies."

I got three raised eyebrows in response to that.

"What? I like baking, so sue me," I said as I opened the top and waved a hand over the inside.

A moment later, the heavenly smell of fresh baked cookies wafted out and Nora started drooling.

"What the...how did…?" said Pyrrha.

"Stasis," I said, "Basically, its a spell that allows me to temporarily freeze inanimate objects in time."

"That sounds...incredibly useful," said Ren as Nora reached into the box and picked up a cookie.

I shrugged.

"It certainly is for keeping food fresh," I said.

Nora chose that moment to bite into the cookie and froze, her eyes wide.

"Er, Nora?" asked Ren, poking the orangette in the shoulder, "Are you alright?"

Nora's response was to let out a rather erotic moan and scarf down the remainder of the cookie with gusto.

"WHOA, these are amazing James!" she said as she snatched another one.

Ren and Pyrrha glanced at each other and took one each before Nora could scoff the lot. A moment later, they were both frozen with glazed looks in their eyes.

"W-woa, shes not kidding!" said Pyrrha, "These are amazing!"

"Eh, Mums better than me," I said with a shrug.

"You mean Goodwitch can bake?" asked Nora.

My teammates all cocked their heads on one side and for some reason, I couldn't help but get the impression that they were picturing Mum in a pink pinny with her riding crop, using her Semblance to direct various kitchen utensils.

"Who do you think taught me?" I asked, "Hell, her chocolate cake is so good its been known to physically repel Grimm."

"Eh?"

"Chocolate contains chemicals that literally make the body feel good," I said, "Since Grimm are drawn to negative emotion, it stands to reason that a large amount of positive emotion would repel them."

"I guess...that makes sense?" said Ren hesitantly.

"Of course, its also so sweet its been known to cause diabetes and cavities from just eating a few slices," I said.

By this point, Nora was drooling at the very thought of such a cake while Pyrrha and Ren looked somewhere between disbelieving and eager to try it themselves.

"Anyway, lets play," I said, grabbing the deck and shuffling it, "We can get to know each other over the game."

"Sounds good," said my teammates as I dealt out the cards. After an evening of playing cards and getting to know one another, we all retired to bed.

* * *

The next day dawned bright and early, mostly thanks to Mum's constant drilling of the need to get up early into my head. The girls were still asleep, but Ren was up. I got out of bed and stomped into the bathroom to wash my face, nodding to Ren who was currently shaving in the mirror. Once I was done getting ready, I got dressed and, after looking at my still sleeping female teammates, pulled out my gun and loaded a blank into the chamber.

BANG!

My teammates jolted awake, looking around wildly for the source of the loud noise.

"Wakey wakey," I said, "We got a big day today and I'd rather not have it on an empty stomach."

"Ohmygosh, breakfast!" yelped Nora, scrambling out of bed and into the bathroom to get ready.

"Urrg, couldn't you have just used an alarm clock?" groaned Pyrrha as she followed Nora.

"Wheres the fun in that?" I asked, "Good morning by the way."

My response was a two fingered salute that had me laughing.

Two minutes later, Nora and Pyrrha rejoined us, dressed and looking much more alert as we headed out to get some food. I was tempted to bang on team RWBY's door, but decided against it. It would be more fun to see if they remembered they had lessons today.

* * *

As it turned out, they didn't if them coming stumbling into Port's classroom two minutes late was anything to go by.

"S-sorry we're late sir," panted Ruby, "W-we lost track of time."

"Hmmm, I'll overlook it this time," said Port, looking disapproving, "Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

With a murmur of assent, Team RWBY quickly made their way to their seats. Once they were sat, Port cleared his throat and began his lecture.

"Monsters, Demons, prowlers of the night," he said, "Yes, the Creatures of Grimm have many names. But I merely refer to them as prey!"

I glanced down at where Team RWBY was sat on the row below and blinked when I saw that Ruby was already asleep.

"How did…?" I muttered, before shaking my head and going back to 'listening'.

"Ahem," said Port, apparently a bit off balance at the lack of reaction from the class, "And you will too upon graduating from this prestigious academy!"

It was at that point that I completely tuned him out. His story was so damn boring, it nearly put me to sleep. The windbag might be a skilled Huntsman, but he sure loved the sound of his own voice. By the end of the story, I was about ready to start banging my head on the desk. Still, the fight between Weiss and the Boarbatusk was interesting, even if it did go exactly the same as in canon.

"Excellent work Miss Schnee," said Port once Weiss had killed the Grimm, "Now, can anyone tell me what she did wrong?"

"Sir, she let herself get distracted," said Pyrrha, "In battle, you have to maintain your focus."

"Exactly, anything else?"

I put up my hand.

"She ignored good advice," I said, "While Ruby probably shouldn't have shouted like she did, what she said was good advice."

Ruby looked sheepish at that.

"Exactly right Mr Goodwitch," said Port, "Now, perhaps you would like to be our next volunteer?"

He waved at a second caged Grimm.

"Actually, I'd rather not," I said, "I'm ill suited for solo fights in such an enclosed space. I can and will if you wish, but I'd rather not."

There was some snickers and mutters about me being a coward from my classmates, but Port shut them up with a loud clearing of the throat.

"That is very wise indeed Mr Goodwitch," he said, "Take note everyone, he understands his strengths and weaknesses. That is an important skill all Huntsmen must have so then know when to stand and fight and when to fall back."

He nodded to me and turned back to the class, calling for another volunteer.

* * *

After a few more bouts with Grimm, along with some pointers and information on strengths and weaknesses of the various types we fought, the class came to an end and everyone started filing out. As we did, I paused when I saw Ruby chasing an annoyed looking Weiss down another hall in the direction of the courtyard.

"Hey, you guys go on ahead," I said to my Teammates, "I wanna check something."

"OK," said Pyrrha, "Don't be too long though."

I nodded and made my way over to the two girls. I didn't interrupt though, not when this confrontation was pretty important.

"Weiss, wait!" called Ruby as she hurried after her teammate.

"What?" snapped the snow princess.

"What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" asked Ruby, "Why are you bei…"

"What's wrong with me?!" snapped Weiss, cutting off her leader, "What's wrong with you?! You're supposed to be a leader, but all you've been so far is a nuisance!"

"What did I do?" asked Ruby, looking a little hurt.

"Thats just it, you've done nothing!" said Weiss, "Back in the forest, you acted like a child and you've only continued to do so!"

"Weiss, wheres this coming from?" asked Ruby in a small voice, "What happened to working together? I thought you believed in acting like a team?"

"Not a team lead by you," said Weiss, "I've studied and trained and frankly, I deserve better. Ozpin made a mistake."

And with that, she marched off, brushing past me as she went.

"Well, that was a little harsh," I said as I walked up to Ruby, making her jump, "Are you OK?"

Ruby sniffed and rubbed her eyes.

"D-do you think shes right?" she asked.

I shrugged.

"Its been all of one day and I've only known you for about three days," I said, "However, I've known Ozpin for my entire life, so I think I know what I'm talking about when I say we can believe in Ozpins decisions. Hes very good at his job and if he thinks your the best choice to lead Team RWBY, we should trust him."

I paused as I gathered my thoughts.

"Being a leader is not as simple as leading your teammates into battle," I said, "You also have to understand all of their strengths and weaknesses and how those strengths can work well together to eliminate said weaknesses. For example, I am ill suited for close combat, despite my skill with a blade, so I work best for sneak attacks or when paired with a skilled warrior to keep my foes at a distance. In that regard, Pyrrha is the perfect partner for me. As for the rest of my team, Nora has a similar role to Pyrrha, while Ren is less of a tank, but can use his speed to harry and wear down our foe. Using that knowledge, I can create and plan for almost any battle and even strategize on the fly."

I paused when I noticed Ruby staring at me, wide eyed.

"How in the world do you know all that in one day?" asked Ruby.

I shrugged.

"I'm good at what I do," I said, "It helps that I saw the others fight against that Manticore. We also spent time chatting last night about our skills and fighting styles."

Ruby nodded in understanding, before letting out a sigh and leaning against the wall.

"Theres no way I'd be able to do that," she muttered, "Guess Weiss was right, I'm not suitable to be a leader…"

I snorted.

"Ruby, I'd honestly be surprised if you could do it," I said, "Believe me, trying to compare you to me isn't a good idea. I've been taught strategy and leadership skills since I was a kid and I have a talent for it. If you want my advice, I'd suggest that you learn to play chess. Its a good way to build up strategic experience and I'd be happy to help if you need it."

Ruby looked a little better at that.

"I'd also like to remind you that its been all of one day," I said with a slight smile, "Plus, you're younger than everyone here. It speaks volumes of your potential that Ozpin made you a leader in the first place."

Ruby took a deep breath and smiled at me.

"Thanks James, your a good friend," she said.

She gave me a quick hug around the waist and hurried off, leaving me staring after her in confusion.

"That was very well said," said Ozpin as he stepped out of a nearby alcove, ever present cup of coffee in hand.

"Thanks," I said, "I can't help but think I went a little overboard though…"

"Perhaps, but this can only help her grow," said Ozpin, "Now, I believe you have another class to get to?"

I glanced down at my watch and cursed.

"Language young man," called Ozpin as I ran off in the direction of my next class.

 **And done. Finally. I hope you liked this, even though I put the image of Goodwitch in an apron in your heads. Sorry about that…**

 **The idea of a chocolate cake that can repel Grimm came from Quatermass' On the Delights of Drinking Blood story and may make an appearance in the future. Possibly as a weapon against Neo.**

 **I've decided that, despite all the comments about how they should have a sibling relationship, the pairing will be James and Ruby. Eventually. With that in mind, we'll start with James helping her to develop her leadership skills.**

 **And done. Don't forget to leave a review on the way out!**


	4. Chapter 4

Outsider Chronicles: A Wizard at Beacon

Waking up in the body of a baby is rather disconcerting. Finding out I've been reborn in a world of monsters and Darkness is worse. Still, at least I've got some cool powers out of the bargain!

 **Hello and welcome back. Nothing to say here, so lets dive right in. Enjoy!**

Chapter 4

I smirked as I sidestepped a wild swing from my opponent, tripping them with a well placed foot as he stumbled past. He stumbled, but managed to catch himself with his mace before he face planted the stage. He turned and glared at me, at which I just grinned. That seemed to really piss him off as he charged, swinging wildly at me as I evaded each attack by shifting my weight.

"Stand still!" he roared as the Fire Dust Crystal in the head of his weapon lit up and fired a wave of fire at me.

"Now why would I want to do that?" I asked as I sidestepped the attack, "Slip."

There was a flash of light and my opponent face planted the ground as his feet suddenly lost all perched on the ground. While he was down, I held up my hands.

"Come forth Water, Ice entangle, spell of freezing, Ice Bind," I said.

A magic circle appeared under my opponent and he was immediately frozen up to the waist.

BUZZ!

"And thats enough," said Mum as the lights came back up.

In case you haven't figured it out, I had been fighting Cardin in a training match, just like Jaune had in the series. Unlike in canon however, I had basically spent the entire time toying with the bully while chipping down his Aura.

"As you can see, Cardin's Aura in now in the red," said Mum, "In a tournament style duel, this would indicate that he is no longer capable of fighting and the official can call the match. The fact he can no longer move would also contribute to the calling of the match."

She turned to me, looking a tad disapproving.

"You are doing very well Mr Goodwitch, but you shouldn't toy with your opponents. It is disrespectful and could get you in trouble."

"I know," I said, "I don't play with actual threats."

It took a moment for that statement to sink in.

"Why you little…!" snarled Cardin as Mum fixed me with a flat look.

I just grinned as I headed back to my seat, ignoring Cardin's grinding teeth. He really was a non-entity to me.

"Nice one James!" said Ruby as I sat down behind her.

"Yeah, seeing that jerk getting his ass kicked is always so satisfying," said Yang with a grin, "But why does she call you Mr Goodwitch?"

"Its to make sure that I don't receive any special treatment," I said as Mum called up the next pair, "While in class, Mum won't treat me differently to any other student. Of course, there will always be people who call favoritism, but Ozpin and the rest of the faculty know that there's more chance of Jacques Schnee adopting a Faunus than that happening."

"Hey!" said Weiss.

"What? Its the truth," I said as our friends tried to stifle their snickers.

THUNK!

I yelped as a board rubber bounced off my forehead, immediately shutting us all up as Mum directed her 'shut up or else' glare at us.

* * *

"So there we were, in the middle of the night."

"It was day."

"Surrounded by Ursi."

"They were Beowolves."

"DOZENS OF THEM!"

"Two of them."

"But they were no match for us and we took them down and made a boatload of lein selling Ursa skin rugs!"

"Sigh, shes been having this recurring dream for over a month now," I said.

"OK, I get Ren, but how in the world do you know that James?" asked Yang.

I growled. Apparently my cooking had endeared me to Nora more than I thought and now the girl had adopted me as a sort of big brother. Now, that was fine, but man could Nora waffle on at times!

"Don't ask," I said.

Yang raised an eyebrow and looked like she was about to do just that, but before she could, the sound of cruel laughter floated over the dining hall. We all looked and I scowled when I saw that Cardin and his buddies were picking on Velvet.

"Disgraceful," said Pyrrha, "I can't stand people like him."

"Hes not the only one," said Blake.

"It must be hard being a Faunus," said Yang.

"Slip and Gravity," I said, pointing a finger in Cardin's direction.

There was a loud crash as the bullies feet suddenly slipped out from under him and he slammed into the ground far harder than he should have done.

"That ability of yours is incredible," said Blake, "Is there anything it can't do?"

I shrugged.

"That really depends," I said, "I mean, I can try and create spells out of whatever words I can think of, but they don't always work. Frankly, I have no idea what determines what works and what doesnt, even after years of experimentation."

"That sounds...incredibly dumb," said Weiss, "How can you not know how your own Semblance works?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Because its incredibly complex and utterly without logic," I said, "Just like any good magic should be."

Weiss scoffed at the mention of magic. We were getting on better than we did at the start of the year, but Weiss made no secret of the fact she didn't like the fact I referred to my Semblance as Magic.

"Don't believe its magic eh?" I asked with a smirk.

The others all looked at me wearily. We had been friends long enough for them to know when I was planning something that would result in someone getting hurt. Most likely me.

"Aport," I said and a magic circle appeared over my hand, followed by a small bundle of white fabric.

At the same time, Weiss jumped and let out a startled EEP as her hair suddenly fell loose and tumbled over her face.

"Hows that for a magic trick?" I asked with a smirk.

Weiss glared at me and snatched her headband back, before storming off with a huff.

"Totally worth it," I said.

* * *

After lunch, we had history with Mr (HEY), sorry, Dr Oobleck, which never failed to give me a crick in the neck as I tried to follow the hyperactive teacher as he whizzed around the room. Still, I did have the amusement of seeing that Weiss was still red and glaring at me. Still, that didn't do much to cheer me up when the teacher was being a literal pain in the neck.

"Why can't he slow down," I groaned under my breath as my neck cracked for the third time that lesson.

It didn't help that his fast talking always gave me a headache.

Pyrrha just patted me on the back consolingly.

"So, can anyone tell me what advantage the Faunus had over General Lagoons forces?" asked Oobleck, scanning the room, "Mr Winchester?"

"Well, I know its easier to train an animal than a soldier," he sneered.

He stiffened in his seat as I directed a glare laced with KI at him.

"You never learn, do you?" I growled.

"W-what of it?" growled Cardin, trying to seem unphased.

Before I could respond and land myself in detention, Pyrrha slapped a hand over my mouth.

"If I may sir?" she said, ignoring the steaming glare I was still directing at the bully.

"Yes Miss Nikos?" asked Oobleck.

"It was night vision," she said, "Many Faunus are known to have near perfect night vision."

"General Lagoon was inexperienced and tried to attack the Faunus in their sleep," continued Blake, "His massive army was outmatched and the General captured. Perhaps if he had payed attention in class, he wouldn't be remembered as such a failure."

"He also refused to listen to the advice of those around him," I said, "A big reason why he failed so badly was because he refused to listen to the advice of his officers."

Cardin growled and got to his feet.

"Exactly Mr Goodwitch," said Oobleck, "Mr Winchester, please take your seat and see me after class for additional reading. Now, moving on..."

* * *

Later, I was walking back from the library after a study session when a hand shot out of a small alley between the library building and the dorm building, grabbed me by the collar and slammed me against the wall.

"Bet you think your so smart, don't you Goodwitch," snarled Cardin in my face.

I grimaced as his breath hit my face. It reeked of onion and I HATE onion.

"Actually, I know I'm smart," I said, "But I also study and actually know the material."

Cardin growled again and leaned right into my face, forcing me to fight the urge to gag at the stench of his breath.

"Your mummys not here to protect you any more," he hissed, "There's nothing to stop me from pounding you to a pulp."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You do remember what happened during combat practice, right?" I asked.

Cardin scowled.

"You only won because your Mums the teacher," he snapped.

I gave him an incredulous look. I had spent the entire match dancing around his attacks with no problem and he thought Mum just handed me the win? Moron.

"Is that really what you think?" I asked, "Well then, I guess I should prove I can beat you with no problem. Paralyze."

Cardin let out a yelp as his entire body locked up. I pushed him away, causing him to fall back with a crash.

"Let me give you a piece of advice," I said, "Do not underestimate me. Mum may be a teacher here, but that does not mean I get an easy ride. I earnt my place here through blood, sweat and tears, just like everyone else."

I turned to leave.

"Oh, and don't worry. The Paralysis will wear of in a few minutes."

I walked away, leaving Cardin stiff as a board on the floor.

 **And done. Bit of a weak ending, but hey, its gotta end sometime and I'm out of ideas for this chapter.**

 **The original scene in the lunchroom I wrote involved James using Aport to steal Weiss' underwear, but I decided that was a tad to much sexual harassment. He may use that trick later to distract a future opponent. Only to have it spectacularly blow up in his face.**

 **Speaking of distract, you lot do know I was kidding about using the cake as a weapon against Neo, right? Now I feel guilty that I didn't actually plan it and am having to come up with a way to do just that…**

 **And with that, I'm done. Next time, Foreverfall and a rather...slimy encounter. Until then, don't forget to leave a review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Outsider Chronicles: A Wizard at Beacon

Waking up in the body of a baby is rather disconcerting. Finding out I've been reborn in a world of monsters and Darkness is worse. Still, at least I've got some cool powers out of the bargain!

 **Hello and welcome back. Nothing to say here, so lets dive right in. Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

A few days after my little tussle with Cardin saw the class heading out on a Bullhead towards the forest of Forever Fall for a biology field trip. Naturally, everyone was looking around in awe at the beautiful trees, but I knew from experience that the beauty could hold a lot of danger. I did notice that Blake appeared more melancholy than in awe however, but I don't think anyone else noticed.

"Yes class, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful, but you are not here to sightsee," said Goodwitch before I could ask her what was wrong, "Professor Peach has asked you all to gather sap from the trees deep inside this forest and I am here to make sure that none of you die while doing so. Each of you is to gather one jars worth of red sap, however this forest is crawling with the Creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will meet back here at 4 o'clock. Have fun."

She turned away, but paused before dismissing us.

"Oh, and a word of warning," she said, "While Grimm are the main threat, occasionally the more...unusual denizens of the forest make trouble. I doubt you'll have anything to worry about, but I strongly suggest that you all keep your guard up nonetheless."

She dismissed us and summoned a chair with a wave of her crop as we scattered into the trees.

"Hey James, do you have any idea what Goodwitch was talking about just then?" asked Yang as we walked through the trees.

"Hell if I know," I said, "But Mum doesn't give idle warnings. If she thinks we should keep our guard up, we definitely should."

"That makes sense," said Ren, "Lets just get the sap so we can go."

* * *

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. The stuff was incredibly sticky and got EVERYWHERE, not helped in the slightest by Nora's constant attempts to drink the stuff.

"Nora, if you don't stop drinking the sap, I will freeze you to a tree," I growled as I snatched the jar I'd just put down from the orange haired girl as she went to take a gulp.

"Aww, but Jaune…" she wined.

"Nora, over here," said Ren, holding up a bottle of maple syrup.

I blinked and Nora was somehow over by Ren, happily slurping down the sweet stuff.

"What the...how did…?" I started, before deciding not to ask and take advantage of the lack of Nora to get the last of the sap we needed.

"Right, thats everything," I said once we were all back together, "Now, lets head back to…"

I was cut off by a jar of sap slamming into my head from behind. Fortunately, my Aura prevented the impact or the broken glass from hurting me, but that didn't stop the sap inside from spilling all over me and Yang, who was stood next to me.

"Oh gross!" yelped Yang as she jumped back and stared down at her ruined clothes, "Who threw that?!"

We all turned in the direction that the jar had come from, just in time to see Cardin open up a box and release a cloud of green and blue insects with massive stingers.

"Rapier wasps!" gasped Pyrrha, "Is he mad?!"

I had to agree. Picture, if you will, a wasp the size of a your hand with a stinger the length of your little finger and enough venom that one sting can be enough to land a small child in the hospital. Add in a temperament worse than an Ursa with a sore head and a love for sweets that rivals that of Nora and you have a pretty good idea of exactly what a Rapier Wasp is. They were one of the most dangerous non-Grimm creatures on the face of the world.

However, much to my surprise, the wasps didn't immediately zero in on the sweet stuff that was covering Yang and I, instead they buzzed around a few times, then flew off into the trees. I blinked.

"Wait, what?" I said, "Thats not right. With this much sap on us, they should have…"

"AHHH!"

I spun around at the sound of Yangs scream, expecting her to be under attack. To be fair, she was, but not by wasps or even Grimm. Instead, it looked like the sap on her clothing had come to life and was crawling all over her.

"W-what the hells going on?!" spluttered the blonde brawler, "What is this stuff?!"

"AGGGHHH!"

Once again, I spun around, this time to see Nora, who had just taken the top off another jaw and was about to take a swig, getting attacked by the very stuff she had been about to drink. That seemed to be an unheard signal as suddenly a large amount of reddish goo began to drop from the trees and land on the girls, quickly covering them and turning black and red in the process.

"Wha...ITS A SLIME!" shouted Ren.

I blinked.

"Wait, seriously?!" I spluttered, "But thats…"

Surprisingly enough, slimes were actually a type of Grimm, albeit an incredibly weak one. They were so weak that the only reason they were destroyed is because they gunged up machinery and made the place look a mess. Unless you got caught by a particularly large one and drowned in its body, they weren't even able to really hurt you. Well, not physically anyway. See, like all Grimm, Slimes instinctively sought to attack and destroy things that Humans create, but for some odd reason, the only thing that they can truly destroy…

"AH, MY CLOTHES!"

Is womens clothing. And no, I'm not joking about that. Hell, the slime on me wasn't doing anything other than slowly oozing its way off me while the stuff covering the girls was already making short work of their clothing. To make matters worse, the way it was eating their clothes resulted in some very erotic images that were quickly burning their way into my brain. I think the God of Darkness may have been a bit of a perv.

"Eww, gross, I'm all slimy!" said Ruby and I made the mistake of looking over at her.

By this point, the slime had eaten most of her combat skirt and blouse, leaving her in nothing but her cloak, stockings and her red and black underwear.

SPLAT!

"Huh, so Anime logic reigns supreme even here," I muttered as I tried to stem the flow of blood.

"STOP STANDING AROUND AND FUCKING HELP US!" roared Yang.

"But don't you dare peak!" said Weiss.

"That...may be a tad hard to do," I said as I covered my eyes.

"Oh Ren, don't look at me!" yelled Nora, although even a deaf man could have heard that she meant the exact opposite.

The fact she was striking a pose really didn't help matters. However, Ren is Ren and he had turned his back to the girls, although that didn't stop me from noticing the bloody smear under his nose.

"Right, thats enough Ecchi for today," I said, clapping my hands, "Come Water, wash away all impurities, cleansing flood!"

A magic circle appeared under my feet and a frankly massive amount of water erupted, swirling around the clearing and turning the entire place into what appeared to be a floating pond, with dry spots for Ren and I. The girls flailed as they tried to get to the surface, but the moment the last of the Slime was washed away, an air bubble appeared around them. A few seconds later, the water shot up into the sky and dropped into a nearby clearing with a loud crash and a cry of protest that I recognized as belonging to Cardin.

"Couldn't you have done that a little sooner?" growled Blake, who was doing her best to hold together the remnants of her outfit.

Much to my surprise, her bow was still intact.

"And miss out on the great view?" I asked with a smirk, "Not a chance."

I shivered as I suddenly found myself under five death glares. The only reason it wasn't more is because Nora was still trying to get Rens attention and Ruby was hiding in her cloak with a face so red it was probably visible from Beacon. I quickly cleared my throat and turned away.

"A-anyway, you can't go back to school like that, so let me provide some…" I started, before I was cut off by a fist slammed into my head.

WHAM!

"NOT A CHANCE PERV!" yelled Yang.

"OW, that was uncalled for!" I yelled back.

"Not really," huffed Weiss, "I wouldn't put it past you to provide us with bunny girl outfits or something."

I opened my mouth to protest, but paused and thought about that.

"Huh, that would have been…" I trailed off under the intense KI the girls were giving off, "Never mind, I was actually gonna let you use my Gate."

At my command, a swirling portal appeared with Team RWBY's dorm on the other side.

"Oh...well, I guess that works," said Yang, looking a tad sheepish.

"Does that mean I get an apology?" I asked.

THWACK!

"No, you still deserved that," said Pyrrha as the girls trooped through the portal.

I moaned as I rubbed my now throbbing head.

"You know, you never struck me as the perverted type," said Ren.

I snickered.

"I'm not, I just like getting under their skin," I said, "Besides, you can't say it wasn't a lovely view."

Ren blushed and turned away.

"I-I wouldn't know about that!" he said quickly.

"Mmm hmm," I said, fixing him with a flat look.

"W-what?" asked Ren.

"Just thinking your an idiot."

"Who's an idiot?" asked Pyrrha as she stepped back through the portal, once more fully dressed in an exact copy of her old outfit.

"Never mind, just a bit of guy talk," I said, "So, is everyone alright?"

"Ruby's still embarrassed, but other than that, no harm done," said Pyrrha.

"Great, in that case, we should get this assignment finished," I said, "Preferably while making sure we don't get any more slimes."

That earnt me a flat look.

* * *

Fortunately, we managed to get the rest of the sap we needed without incident and returned to the meeting point.

"Mother, next time you feel like being cryptic, please don't," I said.

"Ah, so you found the Slimes," she said.

It wasn't a question.

"That we did," I drawled, "So, was this a lesson on keeping your eyes peeled for unexpected threats or are you just bored?"

Mum gave me a flat look, but long experience allowed me to see the slight quirk of her lips and the twinkle in her eye.

"Now son, you aren't really accusing me of deliberately neglecting to inform you of the Slimes just so I could see your reactions, now are you?" she asked.

"Yes, thats exactly what I'm saying," I deadpanned.

The others were watching our back and forth like it was a tennis match, apparently taken a little of guard at seeing the normally cold and stern Glynda Goodwitch act like this.

"Anyway, if you have all finished your assignment, James can take you back to Beacon," said Mum, "I still have to wait for Cardin's group to finish since they somehow managed to brake all their sap jars."

I nodded.

"Alright," I said, "Call if you need any help."

Mum nodded as I summoned a gate into existence and we all stepped through back to Beacon.

* * *

Later, after everyone was back and we'd been debriefed by Peach, I was walking down the hall from the communal kitchen area in the dorms with a large box under one arm. I reached the door to Team RWBY's room and knocked. A moment later, it opened and Weiss stuck her head out, narrowing her eyes when she saw me.

"What do you want?" she asked.

None of the girls were particularly pleased with me after what had happened in the woods, which is why I had just spent the past hour in the kitchen.

"Peace offering," I said, holding up the box, "And an apology rolled into one."

Weiss raised an eyebrow.  
"What about Pyrrha and Nora?" she asked.

I snorted.

"Well, Nora actually thanked me earlier for giving her more time to try and attract Ren while Pyrrha…" I shifted awkwardly, wincing when my bruised limbs protested, "Beat the stuffing out of me in a sparring match and forgave me."

"I see," said Weiss with a slight smirk, "Well, I don't think I'll be forgiving you any time soon, but I'll pass it onto the others."

"Pass this on too while you're at it," I said, handing her the box.

"Hnn."

Weiss shut the door in my face. I rolled my eyes and turned on my heel to enter my own room where I found my team doing their own thing, ranging from weapon maintenance to reading a comic and listening to music. There was a half eaten plate of Victoria Sponge on the table, my apology to the girls, even if it wasn't needed in the long run. Still, neither of them or Ren would ever turn down my cooking.

"How'd it go?" asked Pyrrha as I flopped down on my bed and took off my boots with a sigh.

"Weiss answered the door, so about as well as you can imagine," I said.

"At least she didn't thump you," said Ren.

"Hnn…"

I grabbed my Scroll and opened my Ignite app, intending to do some reading. Before I could however, there was a loud banging on the door. Ren opened it and I found myself with an armful of Ruby Rose.

"PLEASE TEACH ME!" she yelled.

 **And done. So, how many people thought I was going to start inserting Ecchi into a RWBY story? Oh, and you're welcome by the way.**

 **Speaking of, I don't think I did a particularly good job of it, but hey, that just means your imagination gets to fill in the blanks ;P.**

 **I did briefly entertain an idea that would result in far more ecchi situations, but I eventually scrapped it in favour of its current form. I will include it as an Omake below however.**

 **And I'm done. Don't forget to leave a review on your way out!**

 **OMAKE: Crossdressing heaven**

"Wha...ITS A SLIME!" shouted Ren.

I blinked.

"Wait, seriously?!" I spluttered, "But thats…"

I was cut off by another loud splat. I spun around, trying to figure out where the new Slime was and what it was going after. Ren and I should be fine, but…

"AGHHHH, N-NO, N-NOT THAT!" screamed Ren's voice, but it sounded oddly high pitched.

I spun around again, only to freeze, my jaw dropping in utter disbelief when I saw my one 'male' teammate. The new slime had landed on him and had already made short work of his top, revealing...white bandages wrapped around his... _her_ chest. I let out a groan and dropped my head into my hands. Somehow, that didn't surprise me in the slightest

 **Yeah, I scrapped it cus it was a tad to much Ecchi for this story...maybe in the future.**


	6. Chapter 6

Outsider Chronicles: A Wizard at Beacon

Waking up in the body of a baby is rather disconcerting. Finding out I've been reborn in a world of monsters and Darkness is worse. Still, at least I've got some cool powers out of the bargain!

 **Hello and welcome back. Nothing to say here, so lets dive right in. Enjoy!**

Chapter 6

After the rather steamy events in the forest, the next couple of weeks flew by quickly, our time taken up by training, lessons and, in my case, spending time with Ruby to teach her both the skills she'd need as a leader and how to make top quality food. Yeah, thats what she'd been asking (demanding more like) when she'd come bursting in that night, although I had no intention of teaching her how to make Genocide by Chocolate, my mothers special chocolate cake, any time soon. She was enough of a handful without a constant sugar rush thank you very much.

* * *

Anyway, the next big event flag popped up on night while I was on my way back from the library from a study session when a black blur shot past me in the direction of the exit.

"The fuck was that?!" I spluttered.

"Blake, wait!" yelled Yang as she appeared around the corner and skidded to a stop, "Damn it, shes way too fast!"

"Wait, that was Blake?" I asked as I walked up to the blonde brawler.

"Yeah, there was an...incident and she ran off," said Yang, "I wanted to catch her before she left, but shes way too fast for me…"

"I could probably find her in no time, but it might be best to leave her be for now," I said, "For now, lets hear what happened. I might be able to help."

Yang nodded and led the way back to her dorm where Ruby was pacing with a worried look and Weiss was wearing a carefully neutral expression. As we entered, Ruby dashed over.

"Did you find her?" she asked.

Yang shook her head and Ruby deflated.

"Alright, can someone tell me what happened?" I asked as I stepped into the room after Yang.

"What happened is Blake lied to us," snapped Weiss.

I raised an eyebrow and turned to Ruby for a translation, although I could probably figure it out myself. Ruby took a deep breath and launched into the story of team RWBY's day, meeting Sun and Penny and the eventual revelation that Blake was a Faunus and a former member of the White Fang.

"Wait, you mean you lot didn't know she was a Fanus?" I asked.

"You mean you did?" asked Weiss.

"Yup," I said, "I would have thought the cat ears were a massive clue."

"What cat ears?" asked Yang.

"Yeah, she wears a bo...oh," said Ruby.

"Exactly," I said.

"What about her being a Terrorist?" asked Weiss.

"Yep, I knew that too," I said, "So does Ozpin and most of the staff."

"Then why would…"

"Because she wants a chance to make things right," I said, cutting off the ice princess, "Yes, the modern White Fang are little more than terrorists, but originally, the organization actually did quite a bit of good. In the beginning, nearly 95% of Fanus were affiliated with the White Fang in one way or another and there were even Humans who backed them. The former leader was a very good man. Its only since the leadership changed hands that they started on the violence and even then it was a slow thing. Petty vandalism at first, then theft and so on. People didn't really notice until it was too late, but since then the White Fang has been hemorrhaging members until only the most fanatical are left. Well, those and those who have been taken in by the maniac's charisma or don't know what else to do."

"Sounds like you know about it personally," said Yang.

I shrugged.

"Not really, I just know how to listen and did my research," I said, "Blake's probably one of those who stayed because they feel that they have to do SOMETHING or our a misplaced sense of loyalty."

"That doesn't change the fact shes a criminal!" snapped Weiss.

"Maybe not, but I hope you can at least try to see things from her point of view," I said as I got to my feet, "If it helps, check some of the archived newspapers in the library for the name of the White Fang's former leader. It might shed some light on why she stuck with them for so long."

I turned and headed across the corridor where I found my team busy with their stuff.

"Hey James," said Nora, "Bring any snacks?"

I rolled my eyes as I dropped down onto my bed.

"I was studying, not cooking," I said.

"Awww…"

I ignored her pout as I pulled out my Scroll and brought up a map of Vale and the surrounding area.

"Enchant, search," I said, making the device glow faintly.

"What are you doing?" asked Pyrrha, looking up from her own Scroll where she was writing what looked like an email.

"Blake ran off after accidentally revealing she was a Faunus," I said distractedly, "I want to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble."

"Wait, you mean her team didn't know?" asked Ren.

"Apparently not," I said.

"Laaaaaame," said Nora as she rolled off her bed and popped up next to Pyrrha, "Whatcha doin'?"

"None of your business," said Pyrrha, using her Semblance to toss Nora back onto her bed.

I ignored the byplay as I quickly used the search function boosted by my spell to locate Blake and found that she was heading in the direction of Vale, likely with Sun. I'd keep an eye on her over the next couple of days, but for now I'd leave her be.

"Any luck?" asked Ren.

"Yep, but I think I'll leave her be for now," I said, "She can take care of herself and besides, Weiss might need the time to calm down."

"Makes sense," said Ren, ducking as Nora was sent flying across the room by a blushing Pyrrha.

* * *

The next couple of days were rather tense, although that was mostly thanks to Team RWBY and their falling out. On saturday, we all headed off to do our own thing, with Pyrrha vanishing off...somewhere and Nora and Ren spending the day 'bonding' (read, Nora trying to get Ren to notice her and Ren being incredibly dense. Personally, I think he was messing the Nora, but hey). I meanwhile headed into town to do some shopping. After months of saving, I finally had enough to try and get my hands on a Dark crystal to complete my collection. Unfortunately…

"What do you mean you don't have any?!" I demanded, slamming my hands down on the counter.

"Sorry son, but we don't get that many and we just sold the last one yesterday," said the Old man behind the counter, holding up his hands in surrender, "I'd tell you to come back next week, but I have no idea when I'll get one in a delivery. You know how rare and expensive they are."

"Can't I put in an order or something?" I wined.

"Sorry, but I can't do that," said the old man, "If it were any other type, I could, but because of how dangerous Dark crystals are, they cannot be specifically ordered by anyone short of full Huntsmen or the military. And even then, it has to be done through specific contractors and I don't have a licence to do so."

I slumped down on the counter, anime tears pouring from my eyes.

"And no other Dust shop in town will even consider stocking the stupid things!" I moaned.

I pulled myself up and turned away with a sigh.

"Thanks anyway," I said.

"Again, I'm sorry son," said the old man.

I stopped outside the shop and took a deep breath. Ohm damn it, that was disappointing. I genuinely thought that I'd be the only person in town interested in buying a Dark Crystal due to how dangerous they could be. Like all Dust types, Dark Crystals were fundamentally an energy source. They held a HUGE amount of energy, far more than any other type, but they were also rather unstable. Oh, they wouldn't randomly explode or anything, but it was often difficult to tell just how they would release that energy. Sometimes they might release it in tiny amounts, making them useless as a power source, and others they could release it all at once, resulting in whatever they were powering exploding violently. So yeah, not very attractive as a power source. They did make good Dust ammo though...if you use a long range weapon.

Dark Dust Ammo (or DDA for short) created an effect much like a black hole when used, allowing the user to easily destroy larger Grimm in a single shot. On the downside, the tiny singularity created could be dangerous for, well, everything else as well, although they didn't tend to last long. Even so, that was more risk than most were willing to take.

Still, there were people who did and some collectors might like to have a Crystal in their collection. Plus, they did make good power sources for explosives, if used correctly. Then again, you could get a cheaper alternative with a Fire Crystal that wouldn't be that much less effective.

"Guess I'll have to keep an eye on the market to see if one pops up," I grumbled as I headed off down the street in the direction of a games shop, "Hmm, I wonder if Weiss would be willing to help me…"

* * *

After a few hours of browsing, I decided that I better start heading back to school since it was starting to get dark. I was just heading in the direction of the Bullhead port when a massive explosion and an equally large cloud of smoke drew my attention in the direction of the docks.

"Aaaand that'd be Blake fighting Torchwick," I muttered, "Hmm, should I...why not."

I smirked and turned on my heel.

"Accel."

I blurred and vanished.

* * *

I reappeared on top of a warehouse near the docks, just in time to see Ruby about to get blasted by Torchwick. Not on my watch matey!

"Slip," I said.

Immediately, Torchwicks feet shot out from under him and he slammed into the ground, sending his flare off course and into a random mook who was just staggering to his feet.

"Oh for fucks sake, what now!?" snarled the thief as he regained his feet.

"That'd be me!" I called, drawing all eyes to me.

"James? What are you doing here?" called Ruby.

"I saw the explosion and thought I could help," I called back, "Wasn't expecting to find you and Blake here though. Plus guests apparently."

"Oh for the love of everything holy, not another one," grumbled Torchwich, "Thats it, I'm leaving this one to you Clem."

I blinked. Who the hell is Clem?

I got my answer a moment later when my instincts flared and I dove forwards, just dodging a stiletto dagger as it nearly embedded itself in my brain. I rolled back to my feet, drawing Sheer Trigger as I did, and spun around to face my new opponent, only to freeze when I saw who it was. I recognized, but not from Ruby, oh no, that would make sense.

She was a woman who looked like she was in her early 20's, with delicate features that made her almost appear feline, short, blond hair and red eyes that glimmered with bloodlust. She was wearing a black cloak over what looked like an armoured bikini, clawed gauntlets and armoured boots. She was armed with a pair of stilettos that were glowing faintly with telltale signs of Dust and held them with the ease of someone who knew how to use them. It was Clementine, the crazy bitch from Overlord who Ainz gave the Hug of Death. I...might be in trouble.

"Well, it looks like I finally get to have some fun," said the woman as she eyed me up and down, "Then again, you don't really look like much. Can you actually fight kid?"

I scowled.

"Blade," I said as I swung Sheer Trigger out to the side.

There was a flash of light and the weapon switched to sword form, the blade lengthening to a full sized longsword and the handle straightening to provide a better grip for a sword.

"Don't underestimate me," I said as I took a stance.

While it is true that I was probably outmatched if this woman was anything like the crazy bitch she resembled, nothing got my goat more than being underestimated.

"Ohh, maybe you do have some spunk after all," said Clementine, "Alright, lets see if you can match me!"

Her face twisted into a demented smile as she suddenly pounced, her knives leading the way. I whipped up my sword, deflecting the blades in a flash of fire and lightning as the Dust in the blades activated. I flinched at the sudden flash and Clementine immediately capitalized, dropping to her hands and sweeping my legs out from under me. As I fell, time seemed to slow as Clementine swung her daggers at me, aiming to stab me through the chest and stomach.

"Polarity," I hissed and my hands took on a faint, gray glow.

I twitched my fingers and the daggers jerked to one side, missing me entirely as Clementine stumbled at the unexpected movement.

I landed on the roof and immediately spun back to my feet and swung my sword at Clementine. The Stiletto user recovered quickly from her stumble however and managed to catch my sword with her knives, shoving me back, before charging forwards in a flurry of rapid fire thrusts and elemental explosions. I deflected and dodged the attacks to the best of my abilities, but it was clear that she was much better than me at close quarters combat. I gritted my teeth. I needed to get some distance or I was screwed. I quickly deflected her next strike and hopped back out of range.

"Gun mode," I said, switching Sheer Trigger back to its default state, "Accel."

I smirked as I felt the spell take effect and took off, dashing across the roof from Clementine where I could hopefully get a spell of before she was right on top of me. I skidded to a stop and spun around, opening my mouth to begin my spell...only to be forced to duck as Clementine appeared behind me and once again nearly lodged her knife in my head.

"Ohhh, you're quick," she said, "Too bad I'm quicker!"

I bit my tongue to stem the flow of profanities as I brought up my gun and opened fire. Unfortunately, I only had six shots and Clementine easily dodged every single one as she came at me again. Fortunately, before she could plant her blades in my vital organs, a massive explosion made her stumble as one of the Bullheads the thieves were using was destroyed. I immediately took advantage and quickly cast a spell.

"Come forth flame, flaming spear of the crimson lotus: Fire Spear!" I shouted and a spear made of fire shot out of my hand, stabbing the crazy woman through the shoulder.

She let out a scream of pain as she stumbled back, her Stiletto falling from the fingers of her now useless arm as she gripped at her wound. She looked from the cauterized wound at me and I actually took a step back at the sheer amount of hatred in her eyes.

"You damn brat!" she snarled, "You'll pay for that!"

She took a step forwards, murder in her eyes, but a shout from down below made her pause.

"Clementine, quit playing around!" roared Torchwick, "We need to go before the cops get here!"

Clementine growled and glared at me again

"Next time, you're dead," she snarled and jumped off the roof.

I ran to the edge, just in time to see Torchwick close the door and the Bullhead take off. I was about to cast a spell to shoot it down, but hesitated and lowered my arm. If I did that, the fight would continue and I'm not sure I could have taken Clementine if it did, even with her injury. She had been playing with me for our entire fight, I could see that. If she had wanted me dead, she could have killed me in an instant, there was simply too much distance between us in terms of skill for there to be any other outcome. I looked down at my gun and frowned.

"I need to train more," I muttered, "I won't be able to get by on just magic in every fight…"

I sighed as I returned Sheer Trigger to its holster and turned to check on my friends. As I did, my foot hit something, sending it clattering across the roof. I looked down and my eyes widened in shock as I saw what it was. It was a dark purple Dust Crystal on the end of a length of twine that seemed to have been cut. I picked it up and frowned as I examined the cut. It was burnt.

"Wait, was this Clementines?" I muttered, "What was she doing with a Dark Dust crystal?"

That didn't bode well. A nutcase like her with something like a DDC wasn't really something I was willing to contemplate. I frowned as I bounced the crystal in my palm. On one hand, this technically belonged to someone else and a criminal at that, so I probably ought to turn it over to the cops. On the other hand, I really needed a Dark Crystal and its not like anyone would know...right?

"Hey James, are you OK up there?" called Ruby's voice, making me jump out of my skin.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I called back.

"Well then hurry up and get down here," said the other leader, "The police just arrived and want to talk to us!"

I twitched at that, before sighing. I couldn't keep the Crystal, my morals wouldn't let me. Guess I'll have to wait and see if I could buy one later.

I stood and hopped off the roof, landing lightly beside Ruby, making the hood wearing girl jump.

"AHH!" she yelped, "Don't do that!"

"Sorry," I said with a smirk, "Come on, lets get this over with."

Ruby nodded and we both walked over to where a group of cops were talking with Blake, Sun and Penny.

* * *

Fortunately, the questioning didn't take long, mostly it was just making sure our statements matched, and before long, we teens were sat on a few crates as we waited for the cops to finish so we could go. I was mildly annoyed because the cops had taken the Dark Crystal. I admit, a part of me was hoping that they'd let me keep it, but I wasn't that lucky.

"So, why are you so interested in that Dark Crystal?" asked Sun, likely more to break the awkward silence than anything.

"I can use Dust Crystals as foci for my Semblance," I said, "I'm interested to see what it'll do for it. Besides, I've got all of the other main types, so I kinda want to complete my collection."

I pulled back my sleeves to reveal my bracers.

"Ohh, those are pretty," said Penny.

"Thanks," I said with a smile as I pulled my sleeves back down.

At that moment, Weiss and Yang appeared from around the corner and Team RWBY reunited. As they were talking, I noticed Penny slipping away out of the corner of my eye. She paused when she saw me looking, but I just indicated for her to get going. She nodded and hurried over to the car that had just pulled up and hopped in. I turned back to my friends as they walked over again.

"What are you doing here James?" asked Yang.

"I saw the explosion and thought I could help out," I said, "I wasn't expecting to get dragged into a fight."

I gave Blake a flat look and she ducked her head sheepishly.

"Um, sorry," she said.

I shook my head and turned on my heel.

"Gate," I said, summoning a swirling portal into existence, "Now, its late and I don't know about you ladies, but I really wanna go to bed."

RWBY mumbled their agreement and trooped through the portal after saying goodbye to Sun.

"Hey kid, wait a sec!"

I paused as a policeman jogged up to me.

"Is there a problem?" I asked.

"No, but the Chief asked me to give you this," he said, holding out the Dark Crystal.

I blinked.

"Um, why?" I asked.

"Well, we managed to find out where it came from and apparently it was stolen from that Dust shop, From Dust Till Dawn," said the cop, "We contacted the owner, but he told us to pass it onto you."

I blinked again as I took the crystal.

"Well, that was nice of him," I said, "But why would he…"

But the cop had already hurried away. I hesitated for a moment, before shrugging and slipping the crystal into my pocket. I'd drop by the shop later and ask why he'd done that, but for now, my sheets were calling. I stepped through my Gate and quickly headed to bed.

* * *

Third Person POV

"So, he got it?" asked a small figure as she leaned against the counter.

She was a small girl with long, silver hair tied in pigtails and wearing a dark blue gothic lolita style dress and matching headband. The old shopkeeper nodded.

"Yes, but why did you want him to have it?" he asked.

"He intrigues me," said the girl, "His power, his skill...its like nothing I've ever seen before. I'm eager to see what he can do with that Crystal."

"I see," said the old man, "I suppose I can't argue with that. Now, is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, thats everything," said the girl, "Come along Paula."

The large, stuffed bear that was stood next to her saluted with a squeaking sound and followed its master out of the shop, leaving a very confused, but happy, shopkeeper behind.

 **And done, freakin finally! This chapter has been fighting me for ages, hence the two new stories in an attempt to get things back on track. Fortunately, the mindless task of making beds is excellent for dealing with writer's block.**

 **Hmm, I wonder what Pyrrha's doing and who shes writing to? Could it have some bearing on the future? NO FUCKING SHIT!**

 **I love pitting my Outsiders against crazy people with lots of pointy implements. And yes, Clementine will be showing up again to try and kill James and his friends. I suspect she'll end up going the same way as her counterpart. DEADLY HUGS ALL AROUND! Oh, and her armour isn't made of Adventure Plates, its just made of metal. Still looks similar though.**

 **James got his arse kicked! He'll improve for next time.**

 **Ohh, hes got a Dark Crystal now! I wonder what he'll be able to use that for? If you know your IAWWMS, you can probably guess.**

 **And another new character in the form of Leen. Well, that won't make life difficult for James at all, will it! Shes not a Fairy though, instead shes...actually, thats a tad to much of a spoiler. She is a good guy though.**

 **And with that, I am done. Don't forget to leave a review on the way out!**


	7. Chapter 7

Outsider Chronicles: A Wizard at Beacon

Waking up in the body of a baby is rather disconcerting. Finding out I've been reborn in a world of monsters and Darkness is worse. Still, at least I've got some cool powers out of the bargain!

 **Hello and welcome back. Nothing to say here, so lets dive right in. Enjoy!**

Chapter 7

After the punch up at the docks, things got hectic. Between the end of semester exams coming up, more foreign students arriving for the Tournament and me asking Pyrrha for help with my swordplay, I barely had time to catch my breath. Still, its not like I couldn't take the pressure, so I was fine. Currently however, it was the weekend, so I was taking advantage of some free time to test out my new Dark Crystal.

I was out in one of the courtyards with the rest of my team, although Nora and Ren were sparing rather than watching me.

"So, what are you doing?" asked Pyrrha as I examined the crystal closely.

"Making sure I can actually use this thing," I said, "Not all Crystals are suitable for foci, although I am pretty sure this one will be. Basically, I channel some of my Aura through the Crystal as if I was going to cast a spell and…"

I did just that and the crystal started glowing faintly and giving out a dark, purple miasma that quickly got Nora and Ren's attention.

"What is that stuff?" asked Nora.

"That would be the confirmation I need that I can use it," I said, distractedly as I closed my eyes and furrowed my brow, "Hmm, so, Dark Crystals can be used for...summoning? Interesting..."

"How do you know that?" asked Ren.

"When I first use a Crystal like this, I get a rough idea of what I need to do to use it with my Semblance," I said, "Don't ask how in the hell it works because I have no idea."

"You said you could summon something with the Dark Crystal?" asked Ren, "What do you mean by that?"

"Lets find out," I said as I turned to an open area of the courtyard and closed my eyes, "Summon."

The Dark Crystal glowed and a large, dark purple magic circle appeared. My teammates took a step back from the admittedly ominous looking circle, especially when it started leaking dark lightning bolts and released a pillar of what can only be called dark light. I swallowed, but stood my ground as something started to emerge from the circle.

" **You...was it you who summoned me?"** growled a deep voice as a pair of glowing, yellow eyes appeared in the darkness.

"Yes, it was me," I said, "So, wanna make a deal?"

" **You wish to try and tame me, Human?"** growled the voice as the owner became more and more distinct within the circle, **"I hope you have flesh on your bones!"**

There was a flash of light and the circle vanished, revealing the creature I had summoned. When I saw it, it took all my self control not to swear loudly. The creature was a massive, white tiger with blue eyes, a golden ring in one ear and very large teeth.

"W-wha...a white tiger?" gasped Ren, going wide eyed, "I...I've heard of this...thats the White Monarch!"

"You know this thing?" I asked.

Ren nodded.

"Yes, but only in legends," he said, "The White Monarch is one of the Guardian Beasts of Remnant. According to legend, it was them who guided the original settlers of the Four Kingdoms to the places that would become the Kingdoms. They also appear in the tale of the Maidens as the guardians and partners of each Maiden as a part of the Gift the Wizard bestowed upon them. If any of those stories are true...thats a Divine Beast!"

I blinked and turned to the Tiger.

"So, is that right?" I asked.

The Tiger dipped its head.

" **The green one is correct,"** it rumbled, **"I am the White Monarch, the ruler of all Beasts and the Guardian of the West. So tell me boy, do you truly believe that you can tame me?"**

"Maybe not, but I won't know until I try," I said, ignoring my comrades warnings to send it back before I got hurt.

" **Very well,"** said the Tiger, **"Come, place your hand on my head and channel your Aura into me. Should you be strong enough, I shall submit to you, should I find you lacking, I shall devour you and be on my way."**

I nodded and stepped forwards.

"James!" hissed Pyrrha, "Are you crazy?"

I paused and glanced back at my partner, who was looking at me with worry in her eyes. Ren and Nora also looked worried and were fingering their weapons. I sighed and shook my head.

"Guys, quit worrying," I said, "I'll be fine. You really think I would have been able to summon the White Monarch if I wasn't strong enough to pass its test?"

"You didn't exactly specify what you wanted," said Pyrrha.

"True, but my Aura summoned it for a reason," I said, "And I don't think my own Soul would do anything that could potentually kill me. Do you?"

Pyrrha hesitated, before shaking her head.

"I suppose you have a point," she said, "But…"

"If it makes you feel any better, you can tell me you told me so if I get eaten," I said brightly.

"Thanks for that," deadpanned Pyrrha.

I just smiled and turned back to the Tiger.

" **Are you done?"** it asked.

"Yep, lets get this over with," I said.

The Tiger sniffed as I approached and seemed to frown.

" **Strange, you smell strange little one,"** it said, **"Tell me, what are you?"**

"I'm just a Human," I said as I placed my palm on its head.

" **Is that so?"** asked the Tiger, **"Alright then, show me your power, little Human."**

"Alright, lets do this," I said and took a deep breath.

I let it out and quickly channeled as much Aura as I could into the massive cat, enough that it actually released a slight pulse of force that made my coat flap. My teammates eyes widened in shock as they felt my power wash over them and the Tiger looked like it had been kicked in the gut as its fur rippled as if pushed back by a strong wind.

" **W-what in the world are you?!"** it gasped, **"Your Soul...its so strong! I haven't felt anything like this since the Old Man! No...its too much!"**

"JAMES!" shouted Pyrrha, breaking my concentration long enough to stop the Aura flow.

There was a loud crash as the Tiger collapsed, foam leaking from between its jaws.

"Um, whoops?" I said.

"Woops?!" spluttered Ren, "You just knocked out a Divine Beast with your Aura and all you can say is whoops?!"

"What? I didn't mean to do it," I said as I crouched down beside the unconscious cat, "Recovery."

There was a flash of light and the tigers eyes flickered open. It slowly got to its paws, shaking its head to rid itself of the remaining grogginess, before looking me in the eye and sinking down onto its haunches.

" **Boy...what is your name?"** it asked.

"James Goodwitch," I said.

" **Hmm...a good name,"** it said, **"Very well James Goodwitch, I, the White Monarch, hereby accept you as my Master. Make a pact with me and I shall serve you well."**

"And how do I do that?" I asked.

" **Give me a name,"** said the Tiger, **"That shall be proof of our pact."**

I really should have seen that coming. I closed my eyes to think, but it was more for show than anything. I already knew exactly what I wanted to call the oversized moggy.

"How about Kohaku?" I said.

" **Kohaku?"** asked the Tiger.

"It translates literally to Amber," said Ren, "However, it can be written like this."

He bent down and scratched out the Kanji for Kohaku in the dirt.

"Taken separately, it can be read as the White Tiger beside the King."

He glanced up at me.

"Thats what you were going for, right?"

I nodded.

"Yep, pretty much," I said.

" **Hmm, yes, this name suits me,"** said the newly named Kohaku, **"From now on, I am Kohaku!"**

The last part was roared to the skys and could probably have been heard from Ozpins office.

" **Master, I would like to remain here, by your side,"** said Kohaku.

"Um, thats not a bad idea, but a large tiger might be a tad inconvenient…" I said.

Kohaku sighed.

" **Very well."**

It vanished in a puff of smoke that cleared to reveal and adorably chubby little kitten with tiger stripes.

"I believe that this form will be much less of a problem," it said in a much more squeaky voice.

I picked up the kitten and nodded.

"Yep, that'd do it," I said.

"EEEEEEE!"

I blinked as Kohaku vanished from my hands and turned to find Pyrrha of all people hugging the now-little cat to her chest.

"AWWWW, HES SOOOOOOOOO CUTE!" she squealed in a very un-Pyrrha like way.

"HEY, get your hands off me!" protested Kohaku, "Who do you think you are?!"

"I'm Pyrrha, your Masters Partner," said Pyrrha, not letting up on the hug.

"HUH?!"

"I think its about to get worse," I muttered.

I was proven correct when Nora grabbed Kohaku in a tight hug of her own, babbling about how adorable is. To make matters even worse for the Guardian Beast, Team RWBY chose that moment to enter the courtyard and, upon spotting the white kitten in Nora's arms, rushed over for a closer look.

"AWWW, SO CUTE!" squealed Ruby as she grabbed him.

"ITS SO ADORABLE!" squealed Weiss as she took her turn.

"THIS IS THE CUTEST KITTEN I'VE EVER SQUEEZED!" said Blake of all people.

"I'M A TIGER!" protested Kohaku, only to be cut off as Yang grabbed her for her turn, "MASTER, PLEASE HELP ME!"

"Sorry, but theres no way I'm getting involved," I said, "Don't worry, they'll calm down...eventually."

"NOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

Third Person POV, Ozpins office

"Well, that was certainly an interesting show," said the Headmaster as he shut off his Scroll he'd been using to watch James' summoning attempt, "Wouldn't you say so Leen?"

"Indeed it was," said the girl currently sitting across the desk from him.

It was the same girl who had been at the Dust shop, now with what appeared to be transparent wings on her back.

"I've never seen anyone with power quite like him," said Leen, eyeing the frozen image of James with interest, "Truly, his powers can barely be considered a Semblance and more of true Magic."

Ozpin steepled his fingers and eyed Leen over his glasses.

"So, do you think he could win?" he asked.

"Against Cinder? Almost certainly," said Leen, "Against Salam? He could, but not without a lot more training."

"Training you intend to give him?"

Leen smiled and nodded.

"Of course I am," she said, "After all, its not often that true Magic users appear in this world."

She sobered and fixed Ozpin with a disapproving look that looked very odd coming from such a young looking girl. It was the sort of look that teachers gave unruly pupils.

"Incidentally, what do you plan to do about Amber?"

Ozpin sighed.

"I originally planned to see if we could transfer what remained of her power into another host, but now I'm not so sure that thats a good idea," he said.

"Good plan," said Leen, "However, if you intend to have Mr Goodwitch heal her, I suggest waiting until Cinder has been dealt with. Otherwise the results could be...messy."

"Very well," said Ozpin, "Although I would like a backup, so we will still select a suitable subject for the transfer. I was thinking that Pyrrha Niko's would be the best option."

Leen nodded.

"I agree, but that should be an absolute last resort," she said, "Removing whats left of her power will kill her."

She sighed and got to her feet.

"Well, I'd best be going," she said, "I'll be back for the Festival."

She snapped her fingers and a swirling gate snapped into being. She was about to step though, but paused before she did so.

"Oh, and before I forget, I suggest you get in contact with Ikora to see about shoring up your cyber security," she said, "The tournament will be an excellent way for someone to slip into the Academy and plant something nasty."

"Thats a good idea," said Ozpin, "I will do just that."

Leen nodded and vanished through the portal, leaving Ozpin alone. The old Headmaster sat back in his chair and picked up his Scroll again, reconnecting to the cameras that were trained on teams RWBY and JNPR.

"To think, the future of the world rests on their shoulders…" he muttered, "Such a shame. I wish I could lift some of it, but it is far too late for that."

He sighed and shut off the feed. He tapped another button on the screen and a phone icon popped up. It rang twice, before a window opened showing an elderly man with short, blond hair that was in the final stages of going gray and blue eyes. He had a large scar down one side of his face and another running perpendicular, stretching across his nose from one side of his face to the other. He was wearing official looking white robes and the background showed a rather spacious office.

"Ah, Ozpin, what can I do for you?" asked the man.

Ozpin smiled at the sight of his old friend.

"Hello Viator, its been a while," said Ozpin, "Unfortunately, I don't have time for small talk. Would it be possible for you to lend me some help in shoring up our defences for the upcoming Tournament?"

Viator nodded.

"But of course," he said, "It is the job of the Guardians to keep the Cities safe after all. I will have some teams set out at once."

Ozpin smiled.

"Thank you, old friend," he said.

 **And thats where I'm going to end it. So, James summoned Kohaku, Leen made another appearance and Ozpin is making plans to tighten security. The question is, will it be enough?**

 **And just who are these Guardians? And if they watch over the Cities, just how powerful are they? Will anyone be able to figure out some possible future enemies from the clues hidden in here?**

 **I think I'll keep this AN short since I have to get up tomorrow, so I'll sign off. Next time, we'll meet some transfers who may make life a tad difficult for our friends and possibly see a relationship start to develop further...I really need to stop making promises I can't keep...anyway, don't forget to leave a review!**


End file.
